Electrical plug-in connectors



Feb. 28, 1956 c. w. HEATH ETAL ELECTRICAL PLUG-IN CONNECTORS Filed Sept. 25, 1952 F/QQ.

\NVEN Tops CLARENCE Wmmus Ham HENRY GRAEME. Av'vouu KM BY g ATTQRNEY United States Patent ELECTRICAL PLUG-1N CONNECTORS Clarence Willans Heath, Bleasby, and Henry Graeme Aytoun Kay, Highgate, London, England, assignors to United Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass.

Application September 25, 1952, Serial No. 311,384

1 Claim. (Cl. 339-142) This invention relates to electrical plug-in connectors of the kind adapted to be attached to cables or leads provided with a central conducting core and a braided metal cover adapted to be earthed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved plug-in connector having means whereby the braided cover is electrically connected to part of the plug without the necessity of soldering and also to provide an improved socket for use therewith.

According to the present invention a plug-in connector of the kind referred to comprises a terminal pin adapted to be attached to the central conducting core of an electrical cable or lead, a pair of juxtaposed insulating members having adjacent inner faces positioned to clamp the inner end portion of the terminal pin, a metal sleeve adapted to encircle the braided outer cover of the cable or lead, the said sleeve having a portion overlapping the adjacent outer face of one of the said insulating members to clamp part of the braided outer cover between said outer face and the overlapping portion of the sleeve, and a metal housing having a body portion enclosing the insulating members and said overlapping portion of the sleeve, the parts of the connector being secured in assembled relation by portions of the body of the housing.

To enable the invention to be fully understood it will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional side view of a plug-in connector according to one embodiment of the invention, assembled on the end of an electrical cable or lead;

Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the connector illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of an improved form of socket for use with the connector; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the socket shown in Fig. 3.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawing, the plug-in connector comprises a hollow sheet metal terminal pin 1, having a radial flange 2 at its inner end and an annular bead 3 adjacent to but spaced from said inner end. The central conducting core 4 of an electrical cable or lead A is adapted to extend within the terminal pin and be secured as by solder 5 to the pin. A pair of discs or blocks 6, 7 of insulating material are provided having central apertures to permit the passage of the central core of the cable.

The inner end of the terminal pin extends through the aperture in the block 6 and the blocks are disposed in juxtaposed position on opposite sides of the flange 2, whereby the latter is clamped between the adjacent inner faces of the blocks.

A sheet metal sleeve 8 fits over the cable A so as to be in electrical contact with the metal braided outer cover a. The sleeve is formed with an integral radially extending flange 9 which, as shown, extends parallel to the adjacent outer end face of the block 7 and has an area substantially co-extensive therewith. The flange 9 is adapted to clamp a splayed out portion a of the braided cover a against the adjacent outer end face of the block 7.

The parts of the connector are secured in assembled relation by a sheet metal housing comprising a cylindrical body 10 formed with integral end portions 11, 12, adapted to be inturned to overlap the adjacent outer faces of the block 6 and the flange 9. The end portions 11 preferably comprises an annular flange which is preformed before the housing is assembled with the other parts of the connector, the other end portion 12 being turned inwardly by a suitable tool to form an annular flange after the parts have been assembled.

When the connector is assembled on the cable the body 10 of the housing will be electrically connected with the braided outer cover a of the cable A, and as the braided cover is normally earthed the housing, which is the part which will be handled by the user, will also be earthed and can therefore be handled with safety. The housing will further be isolated from the current carrying central core of the cable.

An important advantage of the plug-in connector is that the braided cover of the cable is readily secured to the body of the housing without the necessity of soldering.

A socket member particularly adapted for use with the plug-in connector is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. As shown it comprises a base formed of three superposed plates of insulating material, 13, 14, 15 on which are mounted a sheet metal shell 16 and an inner socket 17. The shell 16 is formed from a blank of sheet metal bent to form a cylindrical sleeve of slightly less diameter than the body 10 of the housing of the connector. The shell 16 projects from the plug receiving face of the socket base and has a longitudinally extending slit to render the sleeve sufficiently resilient to permit the body 10 to be inserted and make a good frictional and electrical engagement with the walls of the sleeve. A shell is mounted in an aperture in the plate 15 and is secured as by lateral lugs on the inner end of the shell extending between the plates 15, 16. An integral wiring terminal 16 is provided projecting through apertures in the sheets forming the socket base to enable the shell to be connected to an earth lead.

The inner socket 17 comprises a cylindrical portion adapted to receive and make electrical engagement with the terminal pin 1 of the connector. It is mounted in alignment with apertures in the plates forming the socket base which are disposed in alignment with the shell 16. The inner socket is secured by lateral lugs extending between the plates 13, 14. It will be noted that the pin receiving portion of the inner socket projects from the opposite face of the base to the shell 16 and is provided with an integral wiring terminal 17. The mounting of the inner socket 17 and the shell ensures that they are electrically insulated from one another, and when the plug-in connector is inserted the body 10 will be received in the shell 16 which is earthed through the wiring terminal 16 and the terminal pin 1, will be received in the inner socket and electrically connected with an electrical circuit of a wireless or television receiver or other apparatus through the wiring terminal 17.

. The longitudinal axis of the shell may be slightly oil.- set relative to the longitudinal axis of the pin receiving portion 17, so that when the body 10 is inserted it will engage the resilient wall of the shell and in tending to bring it into alignment with the inner socket, it will ensure efficient frictional engagement between the body 10 and the shell. If desired the shell may be non-circular in cross-sectional shape so as to provide a series of flats which are adapted to make line contact with the inserted body 10.

We claim:

An electrical plug-in connector comprising a hollow terminal pin having a central conducting core and a braided metal outer cover adapted to be earthed, the said core being secured as by solder to the pin, said pin hav- 3 ing a laterally-extending portion at its inner end, a pair of juxtaposed insulating blocks positioned to clamp said laterally-extending portion of the pin between their adjacent inner faces, a metal sleeve surrounding the metal braided outer cover of the cable or lead, the sleeve having an annular flange extending in parallel overlapping relation to the outer end face of the adjacent insulating block, the portion of the said outer cover of the cable being positioned to extend between said outer end face of said last mentioned block and the annular flange of the sleeve, and a metal housing having a substantially cylindrical body enclosing the insulating :blocks and annular flange of the sleeve and having integral portions bent to respectively overlap the end face of the block adjacent to the terminal pin and the annular flange of the sleeve,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,425,834 Salisbury Aug. 19, 1947 2,461,268 Goldfield Feb. 8, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 531,947 Great Britain Jan. 14, 1941 782,015 France Mar. 11, 1935 

